Kirkland City Council will hold its next meeting Tuesday (3/3/15) at City Hall in council chambers. The agenda for that meeting contains an item authorizing the City Manager to purchase properties adjacent to the Cross Kirkland Corridor on 106th Ave NE, commonly known as the Waddell Properties. The addresses for the properties are 6705 and 6711 106th Avenue NE.

The properties are across from Metropolitan Market. Currently, there are two relatively small multi-family buildings on the properties along with associated parking - approximately 41,000 square feet of land. The city is proposing to buy the properties for $4,675,000 and will finance the purchase through a 3-year interfund loan from the Water/Sewer Utility, then be repaid through the issuance of bonds.

According to background information from the city, the purpose of the purchase “provides the City with the ability to secure the strategically located property to establish access to the CKC, while allowing time to determine the best long-term use of the site.” The backgrounder goes on to state: “Given the unique and strategic location of the parcels relative to the CKC and the potential for other public uses that may include affordable housing or a future transit stop along the CKC…”

City Council will vote Tuesday to give City Manager the authority to buy the properties. You will be able to get information then, but be aware at that point in time, it will be too late to stop the process once the vote has been taken. If you want to offer input before the vote, you need to get informed and send email BEFORE the meeting or show up at the meeting with your comments during the comment section.

You can ask City Council to find answers to questions like: What is the City’s plan for the property? What happens to the current residents in the buildings? Can we afford this given that there are other City-wide projects like the Aquatics and Recreation Center (ARC) and the proposed North End Fire Station? How does this fit with planning the Central Houghton, Moss Bay, Lakeview, and Everest neighborhoods are going to do for the Houghton Business Center next year?

I attended the State of the City address last night given an behalf of the Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods (KAN). Mayor Walen opened the presentation with prepared remarks informing the audience that the State of the City is "Strong". Mayor Walen informed the audience that Kirkland has come out of the other side of the Great Recession well positioned to take its role in the region. She gave updates on a list of work items including the ARC, the North Kirkland Firestation, Totem Lake (the city is in talks with the new buyers), and downtown parking.

City Manager Kurt Triplett

City Manager Kurt Triplett was up next. He spoke about downtown parking and finishing the Park Lane redesign. He then spoke about the importance of ST3 to Kirkland and getting Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on 405. He also spoke of getting Totem Lake connected to Bellevue's East Link along the Cross Kirkland Corridor. He went on to talk of challenges facing the city - downtown parking, placement of the ARC, and other strategic infrastructure investments (think improvements to 85th).The mayor and city manager then took audience questions. There were questions about the North Kirkland Fire Station, crime, the ARC, and whether Kirkland will embrace an initiative/referendum effort (council member Nixon indicated he would bring that up in the next city council meeting).

Members in the audience included city council members Asher and Nixon as well as county council members Hague and Dembowski.

I am a big fan of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). I went through CERT training about 10 years ago and it was some of the best training I have received. It was informative and empowering. I went through the training because I was signed up to be the volunteer Emergency Preparation person at Lakeview Elementary (through the PTSA). While CERT training helped me in that role, it was more about being an asset to the community in the event of a catastrophic event and not becoming a liability.

The concept for CERT training grew out of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake in which untrained volunteers who were willing to undertake rescue and life saving steps in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake saved over 800 people. However, over 100 of these volunteer rescuers lost their lives because they did not have sufficient training to accomplish everything they were attempting. California authorities, visiting Mexico City after the earthquake, saw the potential of having a core of trained volunteers who could respond (without direction) in natural or man-made disasters and save lives while government and other disaster response agencies mobilized an organized response. As of 1993, over 8,000 individuals and 225 teams had been trained in Southern California. The concept proved a great success in saving lives and preserving property following the 1994 Northridge earthquake. In 1994 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) adopted the program and has started promoting the concept with standardized training nation-wide. FEMA still bases the program on volunteers, but by standardizing the training they feel they can insure a consistent level of training and performance nationwide. Standardized training allows volunteer emergency organizations and government officials from any jurisdiction to be familiar with capabilities and limitations and how to effectively communicate missions to CERT members/volunteers from other jurisdictions.

What is Kirkland CERT?Kirkland's Community Emergency Response Team training is a FEMA-based curriculum designed to teach adults of all ages and abilities how to help themselves, their families, and their neighbors during a disaster when police, fire, and medical services are overwhelmed.The City of Kirkland CERT Program hosts two CERT training courses a year, in the spring and fall. A training course consists of eight 3-hour classes, once a week for eight weeks. Each course ends with a full-scale simulated disaster drill, complete with volunteer “victims”, during which CERTs practice their disaster response skills.CERT Training teaches you to:

2015 Officer ElectionsA motion was passed to elect the following officers for 2015:

Chair: Brian Staples

Vice Chair: Lisa McConnell

Secretary: Cathy Whiteside

Treasure: Erika Somm

Talon Private Capital principals provided a presentation on the new Kirkland Parkplace Talon Private Capital has partnered with Prudential to redevelop Kirkland’s Parkplace. Talon has replaced Touchstone in the partnership with Prudential and is working on a plan for redeveloping Kirkland Parkplace. It will be smaller than what Touchstone had proposed several years ago. Hear what plans Talon has for the property.

City Council is taking comments on 2/17

QFC will remain operational the entire time

There will be two underground parking areas 2 levels for retail and 2 levels for office space

650K sq ft will be office, 225K sq ft will be retail, and 300K sq ft will be multi-residential. This is an increase in residential with 10% affordable housing (1 & 2 bedroom studios for rent), up to 300 units

75K sq ft open space and 50K sq ft sidewalks, this includes a public plaza, QFC is 45-50K sq ft, currently ~25K sq ft.

Health Club included

35K sq ft is movie theatre with 10 screens

Looking to open up Central Way to pedestrian traffic and integrate egress to park

There will be 4 office buildings

Above the new QFC will be multi-family

QFC will have 200+ stalls with 1/3 outside and the remainder in the underground garage

Above the movie theatre will be office

There is no height variance for this project

This project has 40% less impact on traffic as Touchstone project

Most likely new light at Central Way and 5th ST.

Next step design review with construction starting Q1 2016

Expecting to develop in Phases, with a phase lasting 2 years

If you would like more information you can contact Bill Leedom @ leedom@talonprivate.com

For more information on the Parkplace Development:http://www.kirklandreporter.com/news/279372412.html http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2014/03/05/talon-private-capital-working-on-1.html?page=all http://425business.com/local-real-estate-investment-firm-revitalize-kirkland-parkplace-project/

Update on the Aquatics Recreation Community Center Linda Murphy and Jennifer Schroder from the Kirkland Parks and Community Service Department gave an update on the Aquatics Recreation Center. The City of Kirkland is committed to meeting the recreation needs of it community, including the need to provide aquatic programs for recreational and competitive swimming.

Originally up against the deadline of the bond passing, 6 sites were reviewed that were owned by the city. Out of those two site are still being considered; area across from Juanita Beach and the NKCC. The NKCC has two possible configurations.

The city has put together a virtual open house for these two options. One key goal is to identify the community’s preference to locate the facility on city-owned or privately-owned property. Comprehensive background information and a brief questionnaire are available at the Kirkland ARC Center “Virtual Open House,” http://kirklandarc.publicmeeting.info/.

For more information about the Aquatics Center http://www.kirklandwa.gov/depart/parks/Park_Planning/Park_Planning___Development/Aquatic_Center_Partnership_Project.htm

Officer Thune

Officer Thune stopped to provide an update on our neighborhood. Crime is slow in the winter time, however, there continues to be break-ins to homes and cars. Watch your mailboxes as tax information can be used in identity theft. Remember to keep your doors locked and call the police department for any unusual behavior in your neighborhood.

Update on Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods (KAN) Communication Workshop Lisa McConnell and Brian Staples attended a workshop put on by KAN which discussed different communication strategies neighborhoods are using to reach out and engage their residents. There will be a brief discussion on what the Central Houghton Neighborhood Association might use as we move forward - mail chimp? Nextdoor? Constant Contact? If you have a great way for us to engage you and your neighbors, bring it to the meeting, send us some email, leave us a comment on Facebook, or on our website – http://www.houghtonlives.com.

3) TalonPrivate Capital principal Jim Neal will give a brief presentation on the new Kirkland ParkplaceTalon Private Capital has partnered with Prudential to redevelop Kirkland’s Parkplace. Talon has replaced Touchstone in the partnership with Prudential and is working on a plan for redeveloping Kirkland Parkplace. It will be smaller than what Touchstone had proposed several years ago. Hear what plans Talon has for the property.

4) Update on the Aquatics Recreation Community CenterLinda Murphy and Jennifer Schroder from the Kirkland Parks and Community Service Department will give an update on the Aquatics Recreation Center. The City of Kirkland is committed to meeting the recreation needs of its community, including the need to provide aquatic programs for recreational and competitive swimming. There is a demonstrated need for such a facility and the City’s current efforts are to seek public input on possible sites to locate an aquatics / recreation / community center – The Kirkland ARC.

5) Update on Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods (KAN) Communication WorkshopLisa McConnell and Brian Staples attended a workshop put on by KAN which discussed different communication strategies neighborhoods are using to reach out and engage their residents. There will be a brief discussion on what the Central Houghton Neighborhood Association might use as we move forward - mail chimp? Nextdoor? Constant Contact? If you have a great way for us to engage you and your neighbors, bring it to the meeting, send us some email, leave us a comment on Facebook, or on our website – http://www.houghtonlives.com.

Tuesday April 9, 2019 7:00 pm(Special Meeting - Northwest University Master Plan)​*Please note that the default day for meetings is the second Tuesday of the months of September, November, January, March, and May. To be timely, we may call special meetings to discuss topics of major neighborhood interest.​Also note, CHNA does not typically meet during July and August, unless there is a specific immediate topic to share.